Free Lunch For Life » Spotlightshow

Record Boasting Coasters

brad — Wed, 06 May 2009 04:00:15 +0000

by flickr user, Joao Maximo

We’ve come a long way since the ice slides constructed in 17th century Russia. I’m not talking about the wooden coaster at Coney Island. With the advancements in modern technology, they keep getting built taller and faster.

I haven’t always been a fan of roller coasters. My interest took a sharp u-turn from hate to love. I remember crying on Splash Mountain at Disney World when I was 13 and then absolutely loving the thrill of the Montu at Busch Gardens when I was 18. I’m pretty sure it was some kind of control issue stemming from my mom laughing and continuing to push me higher on the swing when I was scared and wanted to get off. Anyway, I got over it and now I love them. I guess I just learned to let go.

God help us in the hands of engineers

Recently I’ve been interested in the record-breaking coasters. The tallest. The fastest. I’ve found that even though Florida is known for its theme parks, it is not home to any of the record breakers.

78.4 mph – Son of Beast (Mason, Ohio, USA)

The world’s fastest wooden roller coaster. This is a pretty fast ride for it being made out of sticks.

8,133 ft. – Steel Dragon 2000 (Kuwana, Mie, Japan)

The world’s longest roller coaster. It’s over a mile and a half long!

120 mph – Top Thrill Dragster (Sandusky, Ohio, USA)

The world’s third fastest roller coaster.

With this type of coaster, every once in a while it doesn’t work quite right.

Sometimes it gets completely stuck.

128 mph – Kingda Ka (Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA)

Currently the world’s tallest coaster with the biggest drop, but the second fastest.

135 mph – Ring°Racer (Nürburgring, Germany)

The United States is stereotyped for its bigger is better mentality, but it is not home to the world’s fastest roller coaster.

Your Roller Coaster Stories

Do you love them? Do you fear them? Did your cousin Ray-Ray fall off and break every bone in his body?

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Favorite Sites for Watching TV & Movies Online

angel — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:01:57 +0000

I can’t remember when the last time was that I watched TV from a real television. When it comes to movies, I’ll catch one at the theater most weekends. If there’s a new release DVD out, I’ll go to the redbox vending machine on Monday and get a free DVD. As for TV watching, I do it all from my computer. Luckily, the shows that I do follow like Fringe, Lie To Me, Family Guy, The Simpsons, 30 Rock, & The Office are all available online.

I bet this has caused a lot of people to question whether or not they have to subscribe to any service to watch TV. You might complain that watching your computer monitor is not as convenient as watching a nice big TV screen, but there’s plenty out there to solve this problem (xbox360, ps3, slingbox, apple TV etc). Here are some of the best sites that I’ve found for watching movies and shows.

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Great Idea: Music Videos From Public Domain Cartoons

angel — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:27:20 +0000

Centaur Man from Word Worms on Vimeo.

Alex Gorosh has this great project, WordWorms, which features music videos of cartoons found in the public domain. I really enjoyed Alex’s special brand of hip-hop influenced music and lyrics. The first video I saw was It’s a Pup Dog! which “explores the joy of owning a puppy. It stars a group of animal rights activist gnomes that live in the wallpaper.”

I tried doing something like this with my band. I put our music to footage of a Popeye cartoon. Yeah, it didn’t work out so hot.

Keep up the good work, Alex. Check out wordworms for more videos, or go to Alex’s personal site.

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Cha-ching Go Byebye: or How the Credit Crisis Looked Beautiful

angel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:00:41 +0000

I’m a sucker for information packaged in an aesthetically pleasing way. A lot of people that have seen this have been gushing about the look of the presentation, as well as the information communicated. I can’t blame them (me). If you want to get a handle on how the credit crisis came to be, what leverage is, or what CDO’s are, then check out this video. And for all you poindexters out there who know this like the back of your hand, learn how to explain it better to others.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

What do you think of this? Coming soon: a few links to other great visualizations and presentations culled from obsessive searches.

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PreRequisites For The 4 Hour Work Week

brad — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:32 +0000

The 4 Hour Work Week
Escape the 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich!

Live your dreams now. Retirement is a growing myth.

I have read it a few times and it has helped my perspective quite a bit. Before traveling the path outlined in this book there are a few things you should know. I have outlined these facts here. If you can make it through, you are ready to begin your journey to the 4 Hour Workweek.

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This Week Reviewed

angel — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 04:01:25 +0000

Here are some interesting things I’ve seen on the web this week. They range from funny videos and science news, to movies and different web apps.

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